Herbal Remedies for Stuffy Nose

Here is the third and final installment in our “How to Deal with Sinusitis Issues” series. If you missed the first two articles, you can find “Herbal Remedies for Dry Sinus” here and “Herbal Remedies for Runny Nose” here. I hope you find them helpful!

Now then, I’ve left perhaps the most lousy feeling of the three for last; the lack of being able to breathe through one or both nostrils. Or perhaps we can call it balloon head syndrome. Whatever you call it, stuffy noses are no fun at all.

Symptoms of this type of upper respiratory issue are characterized by inflammation with lots of congestion and mucus that refuses to come out. The sinus will feel like it’s literally filled to capacity and the face will often feel tender to the touch near the eyes and forehead. The eyes themselves also tend to feel sore and you may have sinus headaches because of all the pressure building up. Your head might feel like a huge balloon no matter how often or how hard you blow your nose, more mucus comes out, never ending.

If this describes your symptoms, don’t worry! The use of aromatic herbs can quickly ease the discomfort.

Herbs for Stuffy Nose

There are many aromatic herbs to choose from and lucky for you, most of them can easily be found at the local super market or perhaps even in your own kitchen.

Aromatics contain high amounts of volatile oils that help break up, decongest, and disperse mucus. They will also bring down swelling while killing germs at the same time. It’s a win-win combination because guess what? Sinusitis is usually caused by a conjuncture of bacterial and fungal infections. The herbs discussed in this article, especially yerba mansa, garlic, bee balm, and elecampane, attack microbial issues which is exactly what a stuffy nose is.

To learn how to make your own herbal tinctures, check out my article about thyme here.

Topical Use of Herbs for Stuffy Nose

Using these herbs topically works amazingly well so if you have a neti pot, have at it! I like to use a strong facial steam first in order to break up mucus before attempting to use a neti pot as there usually isn’t a clear pathway for the rinse to run through. Never use a neti pot unless the saline is able to drain back out. Very important unless you want a worse infection because of stopped up water in your nose. Always steam first!

Be sure to use a steam at LEAST twice a day to loosen things up before even attempting to use a neti pot. Once your sinuses open up a bit a nasal rinse twice a day should be more feasible. Learn how to do a facial steam here.

To use a neti pot simply:

• Steep a strong tea with any of the herbs mentioned above (I love sage for this)
• Strain the tea VERY well
• Add the appropriate amount of nasal salts to the tea
• Fill your neti pot with the tea and salt mixture
• Rinse the sinuses twice a day (with fresh tea only)

What if I Have a Chronic Stuffy Nose?

In situations like this I would recommend a simple yet extensive protocol of a yerba mansa tea nasal rinse along with a small daily dose of 3-10 drops of yerba mansa tincture. This has worked really well for me after consistently using this method for at least a month straight. Sometimes I have to come back to this treatment about once a year when allergy season really starts to kick in, but overall it works pretty well.

Will Yerba Mansa help you get rid of your chronic stuffy nose? Probably, if it’s not too serious but everyone is different. This is why it’s so important to know how to read signs of heat, cold, laxity, or dryness when dealing with sinus issues.Sure, a lot of herbs are good for runny, stuffy, and dry sinuses but that doesn’t mean that you have to stick with JUST those herbs. Often a runny nose can create an irritating cough or perhaps even a wet one. In this case you would use a combination of herbs that are best suited for both of those conditions depending on mucus color and consistency. Feeling stuffy AND runny at the same time? Try a combination of aromatic and astringent herbs.

Just remember, if you have chronic sinus issues they’re not going to disappear overnight or even in a few weeks. Just keep adjusting your protocol to suit your needs until symptoms stop. Be consistent and follow through till the end!

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Comments

I find eucalyptus oil to be the most effective treatment to temporary loosen up your clogged sinuses. Apply as needed threw out the day on the nose, a drop or two will do. Another method i found useful was soaking a bath rag in hot water( inside small bowl) put 3-5 drops in the water allow rag to get fully wet then take out squeeze a bit to allow excess water to run off. spread rag out apply to the entire face while your laying down and just breath for 5 min or so, how ever long you think is necessary. **Also drink herbal teas through out the day while applying these medicines/herbs.***